Get Your Camera: Spectacular Comet Views Lighting Up the Night Sky

Sky-watchers in the Southern Hemisphere are currently being treated to the beautiful sight of comet PANSTARRS, which is visible to the naked eye in the early evening. They won't be hogging all the fun, though, as the comet can be seen starting March 7 from the Northern Hemisphere.
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A view of comet PANSTARRS from Argentina on March 2.Image courtesy Luis Argerich

Sky-watchers in the Southern Hemisphere are currently being treated to the beautiful sight of comet PANSTARRS, which is visible to the naked eye in the early evening. They won't be hogging all the fun, though, as the comet can be seen starting March 7 from the Northern Hemisphere.

The comet, officially known as C/2011 L4, has been eagerly anticipated by amateur astronomers as it has approached the inner solar system. The icy ball was predicted to brighten significantly as the sun's hot wind melted it, forming a long tail. Those early predictions are now coming true as the comet makes an appearance in the night sky, visible with binoculars or the naked eye.

PANSTARRS is named after the Hawaiian telescope where it was discovered in 2011. It is not as famous as comet ISON, which is forecast to be one of the brightest comets ever seen, potentially visible during the day starting in November. But it is warming up the astronomical community and providing spectacular views in the meantime.

Two comets appear in this image, taken from Las Campanas observatory Chile in early March.

Yuri Beletsky/Wikimedia

On March 5, the comet will be at its closest approach to the Earth, being slightly farther than 1 astronomical unit, the distance between our planet and the sun. Starting March 7, PANSTARRS will be visible to enthusiasts in the Northern Hemisphere shortly after sunset in the direction of the disappearing sun. Viewers should try to find an unobstructed, cloudless spot away from city lights and look just above the horizon in the west. A few days later the sun's glare will make the comet invisible, but it will reappear on March 12 or 13 near the crescent moon (so get your cameras ready!). The object will then be visible through the rest of the month, fading away in April or after.